Improved ship s knee



ROBERT THoMAs, on BUFFALO, New YORK.

IMPROVED SHIPS KNEE.

Specification forming part ofLcttersPatent No. ellll, dated Jul)r 19, i864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT THOMAS, now resident ot' the city ot' Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of New York, and a native ot' the Kingdom of Great Britain, have invented a new and Improved Knee Applicable for Ship- Building; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, ii which- Figure I: letter A is a plan of one form of knee applicable to stanchions and beams. A is a front view of the same, and A2 shows its attachment to a stanchion and beam.

Fig. II is another form applicable for strengthening the conm ction ofthe beam with the side of the vessel. B is a plan of the same; B', a front view, and B2 shows its connection to a beam and thel side ot' the vessel.

Fig. III shows the same principle applied in another form for strengthening the connection of the beams to the sides of the vessel. C is a side plan view; C', is atop plan view, and C2 shows its connection to the beam and side of the vessel.

Fig. IV represents the same principle applied in the form of a double knee for securing the upper and llower deck beams to the sides of the vessel, D being a side view, D a front view, and D2 shows its connection to the upper and lower deck beams and to the side ot' the vessel.

Fig. V shows my method of extending the principle ,of the knee to strengthening the bilge-timbers or foothooks by curved pieces ot' plate iron. E represents a curved piece eut from boiler-plate iron and its application on each side ot' the hilge-timber, and also the insertion of one of these pieces in the center ot' the bilgetimber.

The nature of this invention relates to making a knee for ship-lniilding` ot' iron plates eut in the proper form from boiler-plate iron and bolted to a wood chock. This plan forms a knee of much greater strength and at less expense than the ordinarv kind made wholly ot' wood or iron.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the iigures.

G, Figs. I and III, represents apiece of iron which is out in the proper form from a plate l of boiler-iron or other plateiron of equal strength, and hence needs no forging or dan ges. This piece is riveted or strongly bolted to an oak or other hard wood chock, H, one piece of iron upon each side ofthe chock, the bolts pass through each piece ot' iron and the chock, thus forming a knee of great strength. or one plate of iron may be used for small vessels. vessel the chock is iirmly bolted to that part of the vessel where used. When used for securing` a post or stanchion, the chock is bolted to the beams of the vessel, as shown at I, Fig. I,'the lower one being bolted to the keelson and the projecting part of the iron is bolted to the posts or stanehions, as shown at J. When used for securing a beannthe chock is bolted to the side of the vessel, as shown at K, Fig. Ill, and the projecting part of the iron is bol ted to the beam. When` one piece ot iron only is used with the chock, then the chock is bolted to the side of the vessel, and the projecting part of' the iron is bolted to the under side of the beam, as shown in Fig. II, and in some cases it may be used ad vantageously on the upper side of the beam. Then a double or standard knee is used, then the projecting' parts of the iron is bolted both to the upi er and lower deck beams, as shown in Fig. V. 'lhus it will be seen that I have devised a knee which may be used for securing beams and stanchions or in any part of the ship where a kree is required.

I propose to strengthen the bilgethimbers or foothooks by the use ot' the two curved pieces of plateiron, one on each side of the frame, and well bolted to the same, the same bolts passing` through both plates, the plates to 'be long enough to get two bolts in the head ot' the door-timbers, and two in the head ot' the top timbers, and the breadth of the plate to be somewhat less than the molding ot' the foot-hooks, so as not to interfere with dubbing or planking. In small vessels one plate inserted between the foot-hooks .of each trame would be sufiicient, as `shown at Fig. V. These' knees can be used either perpendicularly or horizontally, as shown. When used horizontally, it will add to the strength of the vessel if the chock be continued in one piece in the manner ot' a stringer or shelf-piece. In securing stanchions it is also better to ln'ake Wherever the knee is used in the the ehoeks in continuous pieces, the lower ones being bolted to the keelson and the upper ones to the beams.

Gr H represent my improved knee 5 I, deel;- bea-m; I2, lower deck-benin 5 J post 0r stanchion; K, side of the vessel L, bilge-tiinbers or foot-hooks.

I do not claim strengthening ship-timbers 4by the application and use of iron plates on What I do ehxim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A ship knee made partly of-Wood, as represented'by the ebook H, and partly of iron', as represented by the iron platte piece G, as a distinct construction, substantially as set forth.

ROB'I. TH JMAS.

Nitnessesz GEO. W. WALLACE, E. B. FoRBUsH. 

